Bistrotheque on a building site

This week saw the launch of the latest project from restaurateurs du jour, Pablo Flack and David Waddington. The boys behind East London eatery Bistrotheque — along with architectural stars Carmody Groarke — have created a pop-up eaterie, snappily titled "Studio East Dining", upon the skeletal structure of Westfield Stratford.

While we’re not the keenest advocates of Westfield’s oversized shopping "experiences", the latest venture from the brains behind pop-up ventures including Flash and Reindeer has set a surprisingly innovative tone. A polygonal cluster overlooking the Olympic site, the temporary structure is coated in reclaimed timber and Bistrotheque head chef Tom Collins serves up a range of contemporary dishes such as steamed sea bass with samphire and honey and thyme roast peaches with mascarpone.

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The launch was populated by leading lights of the creative industries, including Erin O’Connor, Tracey Emin, Tom Dixon and Roland Mouret — all of whom doled out a series of bursaries to young creatives on the night.

The bursaries take the form of commissions, which will grant each of the young designers the opportunity to produce everything from the uniforms to the lighting for the upcoming shopping centre.

We caught up with Roland Mouret — who decided on the designer to receive the fashion bursary — and Tom Dixon — who chose the recipient of the design bursary — at Tuesday's launch and they gave us a run-down on why Studio East is helping to redefine the face of retail.

Studio East Dining will remain open until July 4, and Westfield Stratford will open late in 2011. Online bookings can be made atwww.studioeastdining.com

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